Method and Apparatus for Managing Tokens for Digital Rights Management

1. A method for managing tokens for digital rights management (DRM) in a terminal, the method comprising: controlling a token management module for acquiring at least one token from a rights issuer (RI); and controlling the token management module for moving the token to a secure removable media (SRM) through a token installation request message, wherein the token can be shared by several terminals, and wherein the token installation request message includes: a field for indicating a token issuer; a field for indicating a service/programs for which the token can be used; a field for indicating whether the token can be moved to another terminal; a field for indicating whether the token can be shared among members of a specific domain; a field for indicating that a token consumption must be reported and defining a uniform resource locator (URL) to which a tokenconsumptionreport message should be sent; a field for indicating a latest token consumption time; a field for indicating an earliest reporting time; a field for indicating a latest reporting time; and a field for indicating the number of tokens.

2. A method for managing tokens for digital rights management (DRM) in a terminal, the method comprising: coupling the terminal to a secure removable media (SRM), the SRM including at least one token acquired from a rights issuer (RI) by another terminal; and controlling the terminal for acquiring the at least one token from the SRM, wherein the token can be shared by several terminals, wherein the acquiring of the at least one token comprises: sending a request for a token requested by the terminal to the SRM through a token consumption request message; and retrieving the requested token from the SRM through a token consumption response message, and wherein the token consumption response message includes: a field for indicating a token issuer; a field for indicating a service/programs for which the token can be used; a field for indicating whether the token can be moved to another terminal; a field for indicating whether the token can be shared among members of a specific domain; a field for indicating that a token consumption must be reported and defining a uniform resource locator (URL) to which a tokenconsumptionreport message should be sent; a field for indicating a latest token consumption time; a field for indicating an earliest reporting time; a field for indicating a latest reporting time; and a field for indicating the number of tokens.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the acquiring of the at least one token comprises: sending a token information request message to the SRM to determine a type of the at least one token stored in the SRM; and acquiring information about the type of the at least one token stored in the SRM, from the SRM through a token information response message.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the token information response message includes at least one of: an RI ID field for indicating an RI that issued the token, a service ID/program ID field for indicating whether the token is available only for a specific service/program, a moveable field for indicating whether the token is available in another terminal, or a token quantity field for indicating a number of tokens designated by the token information response message, among tokens stored in the SRM.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the token consumption request message includes at least one of: an RI ID field for indicating a specific RI when the terminal intends to use a token issued by the specific RI, a service ID/program ID field for indicating a specific service/program when the terminal intends to use a token available in the specific service/program, or a domain ID field for indicating a specific domain when the terminal is a member of the specific domain and the SRM has a token corresponding to an ID of the specific domain.

6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising: sending the RI a token reporting request message including information about a number of consumed tokens, after the terminal consumed tokens for playback of at least one of a service and a content.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the token reporting request message includes at least one of: an RI ID field for identifying the RI, a service ID/program ID field for indicating a specific service/program for which the token was used, a tokens consumed field for indicating information about a number of consumed tokens, a domain ID field for indicating a specific domain when the token belongs to the specific domain, a target ID field for indicating an ID of at least one of an SRM and another terminal to which the token was moved, or a token moved field for indicating a number of tokens moved to at least one of another terminal and the SRM.

8. A method for managing tokens for digital rights management (DRM) in a secure removable media (SRM), the method comprising: controlling the SRM for receiving at least one token acquired from a rights issuer (RI) from a first terminal through a token installation request message, wherein the token can be shared by several terminals, and wherein the token installation request message includes: a field for indicating a token issuer; a field for indicating a service/programs for which the token can be used; a field for indicating whether the token can be moved to another terminal; a field for indicating whether the token can be shared among members of a specific domain; a field for indicating that a token consumption must be reported and defining a uniform resource locator (URL) to which a tokenconsumptionreport message should be sent; a field for indicating a latest token consumption time; a field for indicating an earliest reporting time; a field for indicating a latest reporting time; and a field for indicating the number of tokens.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: delivering the token to a second terminal, when the SRM is inserted into the second terminal and a request for information about the token is received from the second terminal.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the delivering of the token to the second terminal comprises: receiving from the second terminal a token information request message used to determine a type of a token stored in the SRM; sending information about the type of the token stored in the SRM, to the second terminal through a token information response message; receiving a request for a token desired by the second terminal through a token consumption request message; and sending the requested token to the second terminal through a token consumption response message.

11. An apparatus for managing tokens for digital rights management (DRM), the apparatus comprising: a communication module configured to exchange a message with at least one of a rights issuer (RI) and a secure removable media (SRM); and a token management module configured to: acquire a token from the RI through the communication module, and deliver the acquired token to the SRM through the communication module using a token installation message, wherein the token can be shared by several terminals, and wherein the token installation request message includes: a field for indicating a token issuer; a field for indicating a service/programs for which the token can be used; a field for indicating whether the token can be moved to another terminal; a field for indicating whether the token can be shared among members of a specific domain; a field for indicating that a token consumption must be reported and defining a uniform resource locator (URL) to which a TokenConsumptionReport message should be sent; a field for indicating a latest token consumption time; a field for indicating an earliest reporting time; a field for indicating a latest reporting time; and a field for indicating the number of tokens.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein when a token moved from another terminal is stored in the SRM, the token management module is further configured to acquire the token which was moved from the terminal and stored in the SRM.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the token management module is further configured to: send a token information request message to the SRM through the communication module to determine a type of a token stored in the SRM, acquire information about the type of the token stored in the SRM, from the SRM through a token information response message, send a request for a token desired by the terminal to the SRM through a token consumption request message, and receive the requested token from the SRM through a token consumption response message.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the token information response message includes at least one of: an RI ID field for indicating an RI that issued the token, a service ID/program ID field for indicating whether the token is available only for a specific service/program, a moveable field for indicating whether the token is available in another terminal, or a token quantity field for indicating a number of tokens designated by the token information response message, among tokens stored in the SRM.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the token consumption request message includes at least one of: an RI ID field for indicating a specific RI when the terminal intends to use a token issued by the specific RI, a service ID/program ID field for indicating a specific service/program when the terminal intends to use a token available in the specific service/program, or a Domain ID field for indicating a specific domain when the terminal is a member of the specific domain and the SRM has a token corresponding to an ID of the specific domain.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the token consumption response message includes at least one of: an RI ID field for indicating an RI that issued a token that the terminal requested through the token consumption request message, a service ID/program ID field for indicating a specific service/program for which a token is available that the terminal requested through the token consumption request message, a moveable field for indicating whether a token included in the token consumption response message can be moved to another terminal, or a domain ID field for indicating whether the token can be shared among members of a specific domain.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein when the token was used for playback of at least one of a service or a content, the token management module is further configured to send a token reporting request message including information about a number of consumed tokens to the RI through the communication module.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the token reporting request message includes at least one of: an RI ID field for identifying the RI, a service ID/program ID field for indicating a specific service/program for which the token was used, a tokens consumed field for indicating information about a number of consumed tokens, a domain ID field for indicating a specific domain when the token belongs to the specific domain, a target ID field for indicating an ID of at least one of an SRM or another terminal to which the token was moved, or a token moved field for indicating a number of tokens moved to at least one of another terminal or the SRM.

19. An apparatus for managing tokens for digital rights management, the apparatus comprising: a secure removable media (SRM) agent configured to receive at least one token acquired from a rights issuer (RI) from a first terminal through a token installation request message; and a storage configured to store the acquired token, wherein the token can be shared by several terminals, and wherein the token installation request message includes: a field for indicating a token issuer; a field for indicating a service/programs for which the token can be used; a field for indicating whether the token can be moved to another terminal; a field for indicating whether the token can be shared among members of a specific domain; a field for indicating that a token consumption must be reported and defining a uniform resource locator (URL) to which a tokenconsumptionreport message should be sent; a field for indicating a latest token consumption time; a field for indicating an earliest reporting time; a field for indicating a latest reporting time; and a field for indicating the number of tokens.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the SRM agent is further configured to deliver the token to a second terminal, when the SRM is inserted into the second terminal and a request for information about the token is received from the second terminal.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the SRM agent is further configured to: receive a token information request message from the second terminal to determine a type of a token stored in the SRM, send information about the type of the token stored in the SRM to the second terminal through a token information response message, receive a request for a token desired by the second terminal through a token consumption request message, and deliver the requested token to the second terminal through a token consumption response message.